Electronic fuel control for internal combustion engines having fuel injectors has primarily been involved with means and methods of controlling cycle injection timing and the fuel injector open duration. To implement these controls on liquid fuel devices it is necessary to utilize fuel injectors for each cylinder of the engine. The high cost of electronic fuel injectors has created a need for a less expensive alternative and, in accordance with the present invention, such a choice is available for engines which use gaseous fuels such as LPG or CNG.
Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide an electronically controlled fuel injection system for gaseous fuels which eliminates cylinder specific electronically controlled fuel injectors and the appurtenant wiring to each cylinder.
A further object of the invention is to provide a single fuel line to a fuel delivery plenum, or fuel rail, in an internal combustion engine which uses gaseous fuel, in which the fuel flow rate in the single fuel line is electronically controlled by a closed loop control system capable of adjusting to an optimum fuel flow rate in accordance with the demands of a plurality of engine operating conditions.
Another object of the invention is to provide a means for controlling gaseous fuels to internal combustion engines in a manner which will deliver the correct fuel quantity to achieve the optimum fuel/air ratio for the instant operating condition of the engine, while at the same time reducing unwanted exhaust emissions.
A still further object of the invention is to provide means for delivering gaseous fuels to an internal combustion engine with the same sophistication and precision as has been done with gasoline delivery systems, but with substantially reduced costs.
Other and further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon a reading of the following description of a preferred form of the invention.